Posted on 09/05/2010 10:48:17 AM PDT by Feline_AIDS
...“This is personal to me,” he said. “I would be speaking with a German accent right now instead of a French accent if it weren’t for you,” he told the vets. French is the national language of Belgium.
Diplomats from both Belgium and Luxembourg were in attendance at both events Saturday.
Belgian Air Force Brig. Gen. Mike Delobel, defense attaché for the Belgian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and Consul Mario Wiesen of Luxembourg said they were there to recognize the contribution the veterans made in the liberation of their countries.
“It’s a unique opportunity to say ‘thank you’,” Wiesen said.
Delobel said it is important to remember the events of 66 years ago, “so that it won’t happen again. That’s what these events are about.”
But four veterans got a special treat.
At random, they were taken to the indoor test-firing range, where an M240 medium machine gun – the same one being used in Iraq and Afghanistan today — was bolted into a firing rack.
The four got to pull the trigger on 12 rounds each, sending them 100 meters down range into a paper target.
Piece of cake.
“That was great,” said Alvin Sussman, an octogenarian from Fort Lee, N.J., who was a rifleman with the 106th Infantry Division. “I haven’t done that since 1945. Felt good.” ...
(Excerpt) Read more at thestate.com ...
Amen. Thanks to all of these brave veterans, and my Dad.
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